Adapter for Attaching a Motion Capture Device to a Head Mounted Display

ABSTRACT

The technology disclosed relates to providing devices and methods for attaching motion capture devices to head mounted displays (HMDs) using existing features of the HMDS, with no modification to the design of the HMDs. A motion capture device is attached with an adapter to a wearable device that can be a personal HMD having a goggle form factor. The motion capture device is operable to be attached to or detached from an adapter, and the adapter is operable to be attached to or detached from an HMD. The motion capture device is attached to the HMD with an adapter in a fixed position and orientation. In embodiments, the attachment mechanism coupling the adapter to the HMD utilizes existing functional or ornamental elements of an HMD. Functional or ornamental elements of the HMD include; air vents, bosses, grooves, recessed channels, slots formed where two parts connect, openings for head straps etc.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Patent Application No. 61/991,337, entitled, “ADAPTER FOR ATTACHING A MOTION CAPTURE DEVICE TO A HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAY,” filed 9 May 2014 (Attorney Docket No. LEAP 1053-1). The provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY DISCLOSED

The present disclosure relates generally to attaching motion capture devices to head mounted displays and other portable devices.

BACKGROUND

The subject matter discussed in this section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in this section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in this section or associated with the subject matter provided as background should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in this section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves can also correspond to implementations of the claimed technology.

Head mounted displays (HMDs) are wearable devices that contain one or more displays positioned in the field of vision of the user wearing the device. Uses for HMDs include virtual and augmented reality applications. HMDs may include various sensors to detect motion of the HMD. The detected motion may be used as an input to a computer system providing visual data displayed by the HMD. There are HMDs that only contain sensors to detect motion of the HMD and do not contain sensors or systems capable of detecting gestures of a user.

Motion capture devices include systems for capturing image data that may be used for detecting gestures. Motion capture device may include any number of cameras and radiation emitters coupled to a sensory processing system. Motion capture device can be used for detecting gestures from a user which can be used as an input for a computer system.

A user wearing an HMD may have the desire to provide inputs to a computer system in communication with the HMD free of the encumbrances associated with contact-based input devices such as a mouse, joystick, touch pad, or touch screen, or non-contact based input devices such as a stationary motion capture device. Consequently there is a need for allowing users of HMDs and similar devices to be able to provide input to a computer system without encumbrances.

SUMMARY

Implementations of the technology disclosed address these and other problems by providing devices and methods for attaching motion capture devices to HMDs. A motion capture device is preferably attached with an adapter to a wearable device that can be a personal head mounted display (HMD) having a goggle form factor.

In one implementation, a motion capture device is operable to be attached to or detached from an adapter, and the adapter is operable to be attached to or detached from an HMD. The motion capture device is attached to the HMD with an adapter in a fixed position and orientation. In embodiments, the attachment mechanism coupling the adapter to the HMD utilizes existing functional or ornamental elements of an HMD. Functional or ornamental elements of the HMD include; air vents, bosses, grooves, recessed channels, slots formed where two parts connect, openings for head straps, etc. Advantageously by using existing features of the HMD to attach the adapter, no modification to the design of the HMD is needed to attach a motion capture device.

Advantageously, coupling a motion capture device to an HMD with an adapter enables gesture recognition while a user is wearing an HMD. Further, implementations can provide improved interfacing with computing systems, such as using the motion capture device to detect motion of the HMD. With these advantages there is a reduced need for contact-based input devices and stationary contactless input devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like parts throughout the different views. Also, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, with an emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the technology disclosed. In the following description, various implementations of the technology disclosed are described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adapter in accordance with the technology disclosed.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an adapter in accordance with the technology disclosed.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an adapter in accordance with the technology disclosed.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of an adapter in accordance with the technology disclosed.

FIG. 5 is an end view of an adapter in accordance with the technology disclosed.

FIG. 6 is an end view of an adapter in accordance with the technology disclosed.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an adapter in accordance with the technology disclosed.

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of section A of FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 is a detailed view of section B of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a detailed view of section C of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Among other aspects, the technology described herein with reference to example implementations can provide a means for attaching a motion capture device to an HMD using an adapter. Implementations can enable gesture detection, virtual reality and augmented reality, and other machine control and/or machine communications applications using portable devices, e.g., head mounted displays (HMDs), wearable goggles, watch computers, smartphones, and so forth, or mobile devices, e.g., autonomous and semi-autonomous robots.

The terminology “top”, “side”, “rear”, and “end” are used consistent with the drawings to identify respective elements of the device. It is understood that the adapter and elements of the adapter could be rotated in other orientations without going outside of the scope of the technology disclosed.

Referring to FIG. 1, an adapter 100 is illustrated. The adapter 100 includes a main body portion 102. The main body portion 102 includes a mounting portion 104 comprising an opening 106 configured to receive and secure a motion capture device. The mounting portion 104 further comprises a mounting flange 108 on the top surface of the main body located around the perimeter of the opening 106. The mounting flange 108 includes an inner surface 110 configured to provide a secure friction fit with an outer perimeter of a motion capture device creating a friction fit or compression fit. In embodiments, other attachment mechanisms for securing the motion capture device to the adapter are envisioned including magnets, clips, adhesives, etc. The mounting portion 104 may be configured to receive a motion capture device through the rear portion of the main body, the front portion of the main body or both. The mounting portion 104 may be configured to accommodate various motion capture devices with different form factors. Further the mounting portion may be configured to receive adapter plates configured to allow different motion capture devices to be attached to the adapter 100. In embodiments, the mounting portion may comprise a recess or cavity operable to selectively encapsulate a motion capture device.

The mounting portion 104 further comprises a cable channel 112. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cable channel 112 is formed by a discontinuity of the mounting flange 108 at an end of the mounting portion 104. The cable channel 112 allows access to a portion of a motion capture device for attaching a power and/or data cable to a motion capture device when the motion device is in attached to the adapter 100. The mounting flange 108 further includes one or more indicate light ports 114 configured to allow indicator lights on portions of a motion capture device covered by the mounting flange 108 to be visible when the motion capture device is attached to the adapter 100.

At the ends of the main body of the adapter are first and a second opposing flanged ends 116 and 118. On the inner surface of each end 116 and 118 are one or more retaining clips 120 configured to couple to a feature of the HMD in order to secure the adapter 100 to the HMD. The main body 102, flanged ends 116 and 118, retaining clips 120, or any combination therefore are configured to be resilient enough to allow the flanged ends and retaining clips to spread apart from each other, yet rigid enough to hold the adapter in place when the retaining clips 120 are engaged with a feature of the HMD.

To attach an adapter to an HMD the adapter is positioned so that outer edges of the HMD contact the retaining clips. The adapter and HMD are pressed together causing the retaining clips and the flanged edges to spread apart and flex outward allowing the adapter to slide onto the HMD. The adapter slides onto the HMD until the retaining clips engage with a feature of the HMD and cause the adapter to spring back so that the flanged ends and retaining clips are no longer spread apart. In embodiments, the retaining clips are configured to engage with air vents on side surfaces of an HMD. The retaining clips may be configured so that there is only one possible position and orientation that the adapter may be attached to the HMD. The retaining clips may be configured so that there is more than one possible position and orientation that the adapter may be attached to the HMD.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the main body is generally flat on the rear side 122. When the adapter 100 is attached to an HMD, or other device, portions of the flat rear side 122 may be in direct contact with a surface of an HMD. The main body of the adapter may be curved, have curved surfaces, or have surface features configured to be complementary to surface features of a surface of an HMD.

In embodiments, the adapter includes guide mechanisms configured to align and maintain alignment of the adapter in a particular orientation with respect to the HMD. The guide mechanism may include guide features, the flanged ends 116 118, the retention clips 120, the rear side 122 or any combination thereof. A single adapter may be configured to be coupled to more than one type device, for example two differently designed HMDs or an HMD and a tablet.

In embodiments, the adapter may be configured to have one or more openings to expose sensors or emitters located on a surface of the HMD. For example the HMD may include radiation emitters such as infrared LEDs that are detected by an external motion sensing device. To accommodate the radiation emitters, the adapter may include openings configured to allow the LEDs to emit radiation in a similar way as if the adapter and motion capture device were not attached to the HMD. Further, the adapter may be configured so that no sensors or emitters are covered by the adapter when the adapter is attached to the HMD. Further, the adapter may be constructed of materials that do not affect the operation of sensors or emitters of the HMD that are covered by the adapter.

Thus, although the disclosed technology has been described with respect to specific implementations, it will be appreciated that the disclosed technology is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents with the scope of the following claims. 

1. A device for attaching a motion capture device to a head mounted display comprising: a main body portion including an opening that is configured to removably receive and hold the motion capture device; a pair of opposing flanged ends on opposite sides of the main body portion; and at least one retaining clip located on each flanged end configured to be received by detents on surfaces of the head mounted display.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the detents are air vents on opposite sides of the head mounted display.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the main body portion comprises a mounting flange configured to create a friction fit with the motion capture device.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the mounting flange includes a channel that allows for insertion of a power or data cable into the motion capture device.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the main body portion comprises at least one aperture configured to allow a radiation emitter on a surface of the head mounted display covered by the main body to emit radiation through the main body portion.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the main body portion is configured to receive adapter plates that attach the motion capture device to the head mounted display.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the detents are bosses on the head mounted display.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the detents are grooves on the head mounted display.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the detents are recessed channels on the head mounted display.
 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the detents are slots formed where two parts of the head mounted display connect.
 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the detents are openings for head straps of the head mounted display.
 12. The device of claim 1, further including attaching the motion capture device to the head mounted display using adhesives.
 13. The device of claim 1, further including attaching the motion capture device to the head mounted display using magnets.
 14. The device of claim 1, wherein the main body portion is curved.
 15. The device of claim 1, wherein the main body portion includes curved surfaces.
 16. The device of claim 1, wherein the main body portion includes surface features configured to be complementary to surface features of a surface of the head mounted display.
 17. A device for attaching a motion capture device to a head mounted display comprising: a main body portion including an opening that is configured to removably receive and hold the motion capture device, wherein the main body portion is configured to receive adapter plates that attach the motion capture device to the head mounted display; a pair of opposing flanged ends on opposite sides of the main body portion; and at least one retaining clip located on each flanged end configured to be received by detents on surfaces of the head mounted display.
 18. A device for attaching a motion capture device to a head mounted display comprising: a main body portion including an opening that is configured to removably receive and hold the motion capture device; a pair of opposing flanged ends on opposite sides of the main body portion and at least one retaining clip located on the main body portion; and at least one adapter plate attached to the head mounted display and configured to receive the flanged ends and the retaining clip. 